The Department of Homeland Cyber Security: Does it Work?

05/27/2012
May 27, 2012: by Richard Weitz When the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was established in March 2003, enhancing U.S. cybersecurity was designated as one of the new department’s primary goals. In signing the legislation creating DHS, President George W. Bush said, “The Department will gather and focus all-out efforts…

The Role of the FBI in Cybersecurity

05/16/2012
By Richard Weitz In a January 31, 2012 hearing on global threats of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee on worldwide threats, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Robert Mueller; warned about the growing cyber threat to the United States. “I do not think today it is necessarily…

The Emergence of the Cyber Militia

05/06/2012
By Richard Weitz Despite the popularity of terrorist cyber attacks in the movies, nation states rather than non-state actors such as terrorist or criminal groups currently pose the greatest cyberthreat. For example, the Crisis and Risk Network provides the following threat ranking, from most serious to least serious (1) State-sponsored…

The FBI and Cyber Defense

05/18/2011
By Dr. Richard Weitz (Credit: Bigstock) 05/18/2011 - In his May 29, 2009 remarks announcing the results of his cybersecurity policy review, President Barack Obama said that he had turned to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), as well as the CIA and the Secret Service, when hackers managed to…

State Department Goes on Cyber Offensive

05/05/2011
By Dr. Richard Weitz 05/05/2011 - Under Hillary Clinton, the U.S. State Department has made a major effort to promote international Internet liberties, including the freedoms of expression, association, and assembly online. Taken together, these rights comprise what Secretary Clinton has called the “freedom to connect.” The Department faces both…

DHS Grapples with Cyber Threats

04/27/2011
By Dr. Richard Weitz 04/27/2011 - When the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was established in March 2003, enhancing U.S. cyber security was designated as one of its primary goals. In signing the legislation creating DHS in November 2002, President George W. Bush said “the department will gather and focus…

Defense Department Prepares for CyberWar

04/12/2011
The Current State of Play By Dr. Richard Weitz (Credit: Bigstock) 04/12/2011 - Ensuring the security of the cyber domain has emerged as one of the most serious challenges to U.S. national and economic security. Of all U.S. government departments, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has evinced the greatest…

Cybersecurity Policy in Flux

01/26/2010
A number of key drivers for change in cybersecurity policy are in play, including significant legislation pending, more than a few international regulatory bodies meeting, companies beginning to publicly complain about hacking from allegedly government entities, and now the United States State Department raising access to Cyber as a fundamental…